Apparatus for batch distillation of mineral oils



Dec. 15, 1931. H S E L 1,836,061

APPARATUS FOR BATCH DISTILLATION OF MINERAL OILS Filed Jan. 20, 1927 SEPARATING TANK SEPARATING TANK if 0 0 0 O HEATE-R O G O IN l/E N TOR H.S.BELL.

I ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 15, 1931 UNIT a sTATEs PAT HAROLD s. BELL, or srnvnvrrr, NEW JERSEY f Application filed. January 20, 1927. Serial No. 182,280.

This invention relates to the batch distillation .of oils and has for its object to increase the efficiency of batch distillation by conserving the heat required, limiting the investment necessary and expediting the time required to conduct a series of batch processes.

In the case of-many-processes, especially Where a precise test of residuum for viscosity, or flash and fire, or both are required, it is generally conceded that batch distilla-' tion is necessary. While continuous distillation processes are widely used and preferred for the sake of economy in their utilization of heat and apparatus employed, batch distillation when necessary has heretofore been inefficient through requiring more frequent idleness of the apparatus and inability to conserve the surplus heat of the vapors by pie-heating the feed as is common in continuous distillation processes. This is because the feed is shutoff While the batch is being heated. Under the present invention these disadvantages are overcome and batch distillation is made more economical.

According to this invention, a pair of vaporizing or separating tanks are arranged so that either of them can be connected to a heater, one being operated while the other is being filled. In this way the feed can be pre-' heated from the vapors of the operating tank. When the residuum has reached the required test, the heateris disconnected and immediately attached to the other tank so' that no interruption in the heater is necessary. The feed can be interrupted but is preferably left connected to one tank while the residuum is being drawn off from the other and made ready to be filled.

Referring to the drawing the single figure is a diagrammaticplan View of apparatus employed.

Twoseparating tanks, 10 and 11, are connected by suitable piping 12 toeither of the circulating pumps 13 or 1 1 for drawing off the preferred material from the bottom of either tank so that the batch material in either'tank may be circulated by pipes 14 through the tubular heater 15 and thence back by pipes 15 into the top of the tanks. The tanks are provided customary dephlegmators or bubbli'ngtowers 18 and 19. Heat exchangers 20 'and21 are with vapor lines 16 andl? leading-to the i located in each vapor line between the tower Q and the pipe 22 or 23 leading to the condensers. 25' and 26 are the return'pipe's for reflux from the towers' The supply for'the tanks 10 and llis i'oumped-through a series of pipes or conduits. For exa1nple*thesupply for either tank ispump'ed' through the pipe 27, thence through either or both heat exchangers to-"ei'ther tank, the connections of each heat exchanger being such that the feed may pass through that exchanger first and then through the other inorder that the feed mayfencounterthe' hotter vapors last.- For 1 this purpose three-way valves 28,29, 30 and 31 orother inanifolding devices arearranged as indicated] In this Way'thefeed'mayf be either'from pipe 27 through thepipe 32, heat exchanger 20,*out pipe34, thence throu h the pipe 36 into the heat exchang'er 1 through pipe 33, out through pipe 35 and then through pipe 38 to either tank. ;Or -in-' stead of going in this direction the feedmay pass from pipe 27, first 'throughpipe 33,'heat exchanger 21, out through pipe 35 thence 3 through pipe 36 :into heat exchanger 20, through pipe 32, and out through pipe 34, thence through pipes 37 and 88 into either tank. For drawing off residuum, pipe 3 9f-is' connected to the bottom of either tank' and leads through cooler 40,pump 4-1 and thence through pipe 42 to the'place of residuum storage or treatment. 43 and 4:4: are bleeders leading from heatexchangers 20 and} 21,"

respectively. p In operation the heater 1 5 is connected to] one separating tank, 'for"exa1nple,tank 10 so that thefeedmay be supplied to the tank 11 at the top to supply the desired quantity:

substantially continuously durin'gthetime when tank 10 is'connected with the heater 15. Q g The vapors from the tank 10 pass off through the line 16 and if light fractions "are present, through the tower 18, thence through the heat exchanger 20 andout thepipe'22 to thec'om, denser. If no light fractions are presentthje tower may be by-passed, or with heavy oils may be, eliminated and the vapors sent,

through the heat exchanger direct from the '21 by by-passing the tower through pipes 17 a and 17 The feed through pipe 27' should inthis case first pass through thecooler of the two heat exchangers, namely 21 and thence through the heat exchanger where The sup- 2 'ply pipe from the heat exchangers to the tank is preferably of larger diameter than the feed it contacts with the hotter vapors.

pipe 27 so that ample room may be provided I for any vaporized portions. When the residuum in tank 10 approaches the desired test, valves shown in the circulating line are manipulated to disconnect separating tank 10 from the heaterand immediately connect the heater to tank; 11 so that no interruption in operation of the heater is necessary. T'wo circulating pumps 13 and 14 are usefulin order that one may be in reserve. As soon as the tank 10 is disconnected from the heater the residuum is drawn-off through the cooler 40 and as soon as emptied the tank 10' is then ready to have the feed turned into it so that itmay be slowly filling up while theother tank 11 is operating'with the heater. If desired theteed may be interrupted when the residuum is being drawn 0d from'tank 10, but preferably thefeed is kept up into separating tank 11 while connected. with the heater and until the tank 10 has been emptied when it is disconnected from tank 11 and turned into tank 10. When the residuum in tank 11 approaches the desired test it is then cut off from the heater which is. connected back to tank '10 again and the process repeated, the

tanks being'alt'ernately used but the circulation through the heater being continuous.

, It-will appear to those skilled in the art that a wide variety of mate-rials may be treated by the described process in thelayout shown. For example, untopped crude may besupplied and the lighter fractions passed oifwhile being supplied and before the tank is connected to the heater. If desired the feed may bev of heavier gravity material. By

* wayiofillustration, if it be assumed that it is "desired to reduce a'thousand barrels of Pennsylvania crude oil to cylinder stock in '24 hours, each tank should have, capaclty of about 700 barrels, the cycle of operation be- 7 ing; arranged to' bring downonejof these tanks to the desired test in about 16 hours.

Thusthe rate of feed into the unheated tank would beabout i2 barrels per hour. At the starto-f the run the crude oil entering the tank that is accumulating a batch, that is about 450 F. This gives an average temtion and feed, the saving of time,the lessening of investment cost and adaptability of the apparatus to use with a variety of materials are among the important advantages of this,

invention. The feed may be pro-heated by gases fronrthe heater-15 or in other ways when it is not desired to utilize the heat in the vapors. I a 1 Iclaim: I 2

1. In an'apparatus for the batch distillation of oils, the combination with a pair of vaporizingtanks, of a heater, means for connecting said heater with either tank, means for supplying feed to either tank, a vapor line from each tank, heat exchangers in the vapor line of each tank, means for passing the feed successively through said heat exchangers, .and means for passing the feed through either heat exchanger first.

2. In an apparatus forthe batch distillation of oils, the combination with a pair. of

separating tanks, of a tubular heater, means for connecting said heater to either tank, a pump for circulatingthe material through the heater, means for, drawing oii residuum from each tank, means for leading ofi vapors from each tank, a heat exchanger in the vapor line from each tank, means for feeding either tank, means for passing the feed through either or both heat exchangers and through either heat exchanger first and then through the other. r

3. In an apparatus for the batchdi'stillation of oils,the combination with a pair of separating tanks, of a tubular heater, means for connecting the heater to either tank, means for circulating the material through the heater, means for drawing 0s residuum from either tank, a vapor line for each tank,

dephlegmators and condensers in the vapor line of each tank, a heat exchanger between a dephlegmator and condenser in the vapor line of each tank, means for passing the feed to the unheated tank through the heat exchanger in the vapor line of the heated tank,

and means for passing the vapors around the dephlegmator in either vapor lineL- U Signed at New York, in'the county: of New York and State of New York, this 19th day of January, A. D. 1927. r v

, i l HAROLD S. BELL. 

